How to Beat Procrastination for Holiday Shopping and Parties

Every year I swear I'm going to be on high alert for the next holiday, but for some reason, that just never happens.

When the day comes I'll be wondering where the time went. Or is that just me sitting up until midnight on Dec. 24^th wrapping gifts that I just dragged in at 10 o'clock? Or more critical to the family, why is my turkey still cooking at 8 pm on Thanksgiving evening?

Well, not this year. I have been perusing some self improvement books with the intent of learning how to manage my time more efficiently.

From the pages and pages and pages of what I've read, I have come up with a fool proof plan to beat procrastination and get my holiday shopping done way before the stores close on the 24^th, and if my turkey isn't cooked and on the table by 2 pm on Thanksgiving day, I'm joining a monastery. Or the circus. Whichever will have me.

Of course, my biggest problem is procrastination. Personally, I think procrastination should be treated as a disability, like narcolepsy or dyslexia. We procrastinators deserve special treatment. I'm going to write to my congressman to see if I can get it upgraded from a "habit" to a "condition".

I'm going to share some earth shaking information to help you organize your time better so you don't have to join the circus with me. Besides, there's only room for one more clown in the car and I have a reservation for it.

I have devised a short list to chase away the desire to procrastinate when I need to get things done. I share it with you in hopes that you will not find yourself with a turkey in the oven long after the final guest has left or wrapping presents two hours after Santa has retired for the winter. Using my holiday shopping as a example, you will find out how to beat procrastination in just about anything you plan to do but always fail to do.

Here goes.

I find if I write a list of things that need to be done throughout the day, I'll attack my list just for the fun of crossing things off. So suggestion number one is:

MAKE A LIST.

This way you'll have all the necessary actions spelled out for you and you won't have to waste precious hours trying to decide what to do first!

When you're in the office and you have a deadline to meet, you may find yourself flailing around your desk, looking for easier things to do. You may find some paper clips that need to be organized or some menus from Hop Shing City that need to be filed away or even some of yesterday's lunch lurking under your keyboard. STOP. Read suggestion number two:

BEFORE YOUR START A PROJECT, CLEAN OFF YOUR DESK.

With all other distractions put away from your line of vision, you won't be tempted to dawdle on inconsequential details.

Sometimes, when you're out trying to buy gifts for your friends and family, the only items that appeal to you are gifts for yourself. In order to avoid buying your own presents in every store you enter:

DECIDE AHEAD OF TIME WHAT YOU WANT TO BUY EACH PERSON ON YOUR LIST.

Be a "tunnel vision" shopper. Only focus on the items you've decided on ahead of time. There will be plenty of opportunity to shop for yourself when you're returning the gifts your family, who are not the super shoppers that you have become, had the poor taste to buy for you.

Expecting guests for dinner but don't know where to start your menu? Should the potatoes go in the pot before the main course goes in the oven? What comes first-the chicken or the egg foo yung? Don't panic:

FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS.

Likely Page BreakWhere are the directions, you ask? They're stuck your fridge where you put them. Last night. After you sat down and wrote them out for yourself. When you're calm is a better time to figure out what to do than when you're already 30 minutes late for your own dinner party.

It's not a cure, but it's a start. So START!!!